# US 10,771,530 B2 · Transport path-aware quality of service for mobile communications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,530 B2 - Document ID: US10771530B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/438,772 - Filed: 2019-06-12 - Published: 2020-01-02 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-10 - Assignees: ViaSat, Inc. - Applicants: ViaSat, Inc. - Inventors: Veena Padmanabhan; Nirmalkumar Velayudhan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771530B2 ## CPC - H04L 65/80: Responding to QoS - H04B 7/18508: {with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service} - H04B 7/18584: {Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control (data switching networks H04L12/00)} - H04B 7/2041: {Spot beam multiple access} - H04L 65/61: for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio - H04L 67/568: Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W 4/18: Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals - H04W 4/42: for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft - H04W 84/06: Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Embodiments provide quality of service for media content delivery over capacity-constrained communications links to user devices by exploiting usage models and path awareness. For example, one or more uncongested beams can be identified as preceding one or more congested beams (e.g., by computing a congestion map) along a predicted transport path of a user device moving through a multi-beam satellite communications system. A prediction can be made aps to one or more future requests that are likely to be made by the user device for pre-positionable types of media content, and that are likely to be serviced by one of the subsequent congested beams. When such a request for pre-positionable media content is predicted, embodiments can schedule transmission of at least a portion of the media content over one or more of the preceding uncongested beams for storage local to the user device, thereby pre-positioning the content at the client prior to reaching the congested beam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for managing streaming media service to a plurality of user devices disposed within a plurality of transport craft traveling through a multi-carrier communications system, the method comprising: determining that a user device is presently consuming a first media content portion in transit aboard a transport craft traveling along a craft transport path through a multi-carrier communications system; associating the craft transport path as a device transport path for the user device responsive to the determining; computing a congestion map to indicate congestion conditions for a plurality of carriers of the multi-carrier communications system along the device transport path, the congestion map indicating a first carrier as uncongested with respect to servicing the user device during a first service timeframe, and the congestion map indicating a second carrier as congested with respect to servicing the user device during a second service timeframe subsequent to the first service timeframe; identifying a second media content portion predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe in accordance with the user device presently consuming the first media content portion; and scheduling transmission of at least some of the second media content portion to the user device during the first service timeframe via the first carrier for storage local to the user device responsive to the identifying. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the determining comprises detecting that the user device is accessing the first media content portion via an in-transport media server of the transport craft; and the associating comprises automatically associating the user device with the transport craft responsive to the detecting. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: predicting the craft transport path, wherein the computing comprises computing the congestion map for the craft transport path, such that the congestion map indicates congestion conditions for the plurality of carriers of the multi-carrier communications system along the device transport path in accordance with the associating. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first media content portion is a first part of a content media item, and the second media content portion is a second part of the content media item subsequent to the first part. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling transmission is for storage by an in-transport media server accessible to a plurality of user devices aboard the transport craft, the plurality of user devices including the user device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is during the first service timeframe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second service timeframe is adjacent to the first service timeframe. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises: identifying a request queue maintained in association with the user device; and identifying the second media content portion predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe further in accordance with the request queue. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises: identifying that the first media content portion is a given episode of a media content item having a plurality of episodes; determining that the user device is expected to finish the given episode prior to the second service timeframe; and identifying the second media content portion as a next episode of the plurality of episodes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises: identifying that the first media content portion corresponds to a first media content item of a group of media content items previously determined to be highly related, such that consumption of the first media content item indicates a high likelihood of subsequent consumption of a second media content item of the group; and identifying the second media content portion as corresponding to the second media content item of the group. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises: determining a prior user consumption by analyzing stored consumption history patterns associated with the user device; and identifying the second media content portion as predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe in accordance with the prior user consumption. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises: calculating an individual pre-position score for each of a plurality of candidate media content portions, each individual pre-position score indicating a conditional probability of consumption of a respective one of the plurality of candidate media content portions following consumption of the first media content portion by the user device; and identifying the second media content portion as predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe according to the individual pre-position score for the second media content portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying further comprises: determining that present consumption by the user device is at a current position in the first media content portion; and each individual pre-position score indicates the conditional probability of consumption of the respective one of the plurality of candidate media content portions following consumption at the current position of the first media content portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein each individual pre-position score is computed further to indicate whether it is determined to multicast the respective candidate media content portion to one or more opportunistic terminals during the first service timeframe via the first carrier for storage local to the opportunistic terminals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the scheduling transmission comprises scheduling transmission of multiple of the plurality of candidate media content portions to the user device during the first service timeframe via the first carrier for storage local to the user device according to a priority order determined in accordance with the individual pre-position score calculated for each of the multiple of the plurality of candidate media content portions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the scheduling transmission comprises selecting the multiple of the plurality of candidate media content portions as those of the plurality of candidate media content portions for which the individual pre-position score is above a pre-position threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-carrier communications system is a multi-beam satellite communications system, the first carrier being a first beam of the multi-beam satellite communications system, and the second carrier being a second beam of the multi-beam satellite communications system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining, the associating, the computing, the identifying, and the scheduling are performed by a mobility management system remote from the transport craft. ### Claim 19 A mobility management system for managing streaming media service to a plurality of user devices disposed within a plurality of transport craft traveling through a multi-carrier communications system, the mobility management system comprising: a transport path modeler system to associate a craft transport path as a device transport path for the user device responsive to determining that a user device is presently consuming a first media content portion in transit aboard a transport craft traveling along the craft transport path through a multi-carrier communications system; a congestion modeler system to compute a congestion map to indicate congestion conditions for a plurality of carriers of the multi-carrier communications system along the device transport path, the congestion map indicating a first carrier as uncongested with respect to servicing the user device during a first service timeframe, and the congestion map indicating a second carrier as congested with respect to servicing the user device during a second service timeframe subsequent to the first service timeframe; a terminal usage modeler system to identify a second media content portion predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe in accordance with the user device presently consuming the first media content portion; and a mobility-aware scheduler system to schedule transmission of at least some of the second media content portion to the user device during the first service timeframe via the first carrier for storage local to the user device responsive to the identifying. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein: determining that the user device is presently consuming the first media content portion comprises detecting that the user device is accessing the first media content portion via an in-transport media server of the transport craft; and the transport path modeler system is to associate the craft transport path as the device transport path for the user device by automatically associating the user device with the transport craft responsive to the detecting. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein: the transport path modeler system is further to predict the craft transport path; and the congestion modeler system is to compute the congestion map for the craft transport path, such that the congestion map indicates congestion conditions for the plurality of carriers of the multi-carrier communications system along the device transport path in accordance with the associating. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the first media content portion is a first part of a content media item, and the second media content portion is a second part of the content media item subsequent to the first part. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the mobility-aware scheduler system is to schedule the transmission for storage to a terminal cache on-board the transport craft, the terminal cache being accessible to a plurality of user devices aboard the transport craft including the user device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the second service timeframe is adjacent to the first service timeframe. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the terminal usage modeler system is to identify the second media content portion by: identifying a request queue maintained in association with the user device; and identifying the second media content portion predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe further in accordance with the request queue. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The mobility management system of claim 25, wherein the request queue is maintained remote from the user device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the terminal usage modeler system is to identify the second media content portion by: identifying that the first media content portion is a given episode of a media content item having a plurality of episodes; determining that the user device is expected to finish the given episode prior to the second service timeframe; and identifying the second media content portion as a next episode of the plurality of episodes. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the terminal usage modeler system is to identify the second media content portion by: identifying that the first media content portion corresponds to a first media content item of a group of media content items previously determined to be highly related, such that consumption of the first media content item indicates a high likelihood of subsequent consumption of a second media content item of the group; and identifying the second media content portion as corresponding to the second media content item of the group. ### Claim 29 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the terminal usage modeler system is to identify the second media content portion by: determining a prior user consumption by analyzing stored consumption history patterns associated with the user device; and identifying the second media content portion as predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe in accordance with the prior user consumption. ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the terminal usage modeler system is to identify the second media content portion by: calculating an individual pre-position score for each of a plurality of candidate media content portions, each individual pre-position score indicating a conditional probability of consumption of a respective one of the plurality of candidate media content portions following consumption of the first media content portion by the user device; and identifying the second media content portion as predicted to be consumed by the user device during the second service timeframe according to the individual pre-position score for the second media content portion. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The mobility management system of claim 30, wherein the terminal usage modeler system is to identify the second media content portion further by: determining that present consumption by the user device is at a current position in the first media content portion; and each individual pre-position score indicates the conditional probability of consumption of the respective one of the plurality of candidate media content portions following consumption at the current position of the first media content portion. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The mobility management system of claim 30, wherein each individual pre-position score is computed further to indicate whether it is determined to multicast the respective candidate media content portion to one or more opportunistic terminals during the first service timeframe via the first carrier for storage local to the opportunistic terminals. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The mobility management system of claim 30, wherein the mobility-aware scheduler system is to schedule transmission of multiple of the plurality of candidate media content portions to the user device during the first service timeframe via the first carrier for storage local to the user device according to a priority order determined in accordance with the individual pre-position score calculated for each of the multiple of the plurality of candidate media content portions. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The mobility management system of claim 33, wherein the mobility-aware scheduler system is to schedule transmission further by selecting the multiple of the plurality of candidate media content portions as those of the plurality of candidate media content portions for which the individual pre-position score is above a pre-position threshold. ### Claim 35 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the multi-carrier communications system is a multi-beam satellite communications system, the first carrier being a first beam of the multi-beam satellite communications system, and the second carrier being a second beam of the multi-beam satellite communications system. ### Claim 36 (depends on 19) The mobility management system of claim 19, wherein the mobility management system is located remote from the transport craft and is in communication with the transport craft via the multi-carrier communications system.